Sawmill dog



Jan. 23, 1934. A SE 1,944,285

SAWMILL DOG Original Filed June 6. 1 925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Jan. 23, 1934. HAASE 1,944,285

SAWMILL DOG Original Filed June 6. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 67 7 J6 MIKM Jan. 23, 1934.

A. L. HAASE SAWMILL DOG Original Filed June 6. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 fldaja Z. /%056 WWM KM Patented Jan. 23, 1934 Q UNHTED STATES ENT ore-ICE j SAWMILL DOG Application June 6, 1925, Serial No. 35,300 Renewed June 3, 1929 16 Claims. (Cl. 143-125) This invention relates to improvements in sawmill dogs, and more particularly to the actuating mechanism therefor.

In sawmill dogs constructed heretofore, the teeth have been connected to the actuating member therefor by a number of links or levers pivotally connected to each other and to the teeth and actuating member, these links having a toggle action to cause movement of the teeth upon movement of the actuating member, which in some cases comprises a hand-operated lever and in other cases a power device such as a fluid pressure motor mounted upon the knee.

One of the objects of the present invention is toprovide an improved sawmill dog having flexible means such as a chain or cable connecting the tooth or teeth to the actuating member therefor.

Another object is to provide an improved sawmill dog having a tooth frame and teeth mounted in said frame, with a fluid pressure motor carried by the frame and connected to the teeth to effect movement thereof into their respective operative and inoperative positions.

Another object is to provide an improved sawmill dog which has advantages over those constructed heretofore as regards flexibility of operation, efi'iciency, durability and cost of manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, an embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, looking toward the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form; and

Fig. 8 is an end elevation, looking toward the left in Fig. '7.

The knee 1 is mounted upon the head block 2 in the usual manner for transverse movement with respect thereto, as more clearly shown in Fig. .3. The teeth for gripping and holding the log in position against the face of the knee, are mounted in a frame comprising a top cross member 3, a bottom cross member 4 provided with a depending lug 5 having the lower portion 6 thereof extending horizontally, a vertical member 7 secured to the top cross member 3 by means of bolts 8 and to the front vertical portion 9 of bot.- tom cross member 4 by means of bolts 10 screwed into bosses 11 cast integrally with portion 9, the heads of the bolts being set in member Ito .lie flush therewith for the purpose hereinafter explained, a piston rod 12 having the upper end thereof extending through member 3 and secured theretoby means of a set screw 13 and the lower end thereof extending through horizontal portion 5 6 of member 4 and provided with a nut 14 threaded thereon, and a guide bar 15 having the upper end thereof secured to cross member 3 by means of a bolt 15 and the lower end thereof extending through portion 6 and secured thereto 0 by means of nuts 16 and 17, as shown. The lower cross member 4 is provided along the lower edge thereof with a dovetail groove which receives the head 18 of an L-shape guide member 19 secured to the base of knee 1. A U-shape bracket 7 5 20 provided with a head 21 having a slot 22 therein, is secured to member 7 by any suitable means such as rivets 23. A bolt 24 extends loosely through slot 22 and into a block 25 secured to 'the knee in any suitable manner, the head 26 of bolt 89 24 holding the upper portion of the frame in position with respect to the knee and permitting sliding movement of the frame with respect to the latter. From the foregoing it will'be seen that the frame is mounted to the knee for forward and 5 backward movement with respect thereto upon bolt 24 and bracket 19. The means or mechanism for effecting this movement of the frame with respect to the knee may comprise a bell crank 27 pivotally connected at 28 to the lower cross member 4 of the frame, a link 29 pivotally mounted on a pin 30 fixed in the base of knee 1 and pivotally connected at 31 to the bell crank,

a connecting link 32 pivotally connected at 33 to the bell crank and at 34 to an arm 35 fixed 9 5 to a shaft 36 journaled in depending lugs 37 cast integrally with top cross member 3, and an actuating lever 38 fixed to shaft 36. Upon backward movement of lever 38, bell crank 2'7 will be caused to move in a clockwise direction about its pivot 28 and the lower portion of the bell crank or link 39 will coact with link 29 to efiect backward movement of the frame with respect to the knee, the frame being moved to its extreme back position when links 29 and 39 are in alignment with each other, bell crank 27 bein provided with a depending lug 40 arranged to strike and rest upon the upper side of bracket 19 when this position is reached. Forward and backward movement of the frame with respect to knee 1 is thereby ef- 1 10 fected by forward and backward movement, respectively, of lever 38, which movement changes the angular relation of links 29 and 39 with respect to each other.

An upper tooth 41 is provided with a head or block 42 slidably mounted upon member 7, as shown in Fig. 4, the tooth having a vertical movement so that the point thereof moves parallel with the face of knee 1. A lower tooth 43 provided with a similar head or block 44 is slidably mounted on member 7, as shown in Fig. 5, the point of tooth 43 also moving vertically and parallel with the face of knee 1.

The means for efiecting vertical movement of teeth 41 and 43 into their respective operative and inoperative positions will now be described, referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2. A cylinder 45 is slidably mounted on piston rod 12 for movement in and with respect to the frame, the cylinder being provided with lugs 46 cast integrally therewith and provided with openings through which guide bar 15 loosely passes, the cylinder thereby being guided for movement in the frame by piston rod 12 and bar 15. Piston rod 12 is provided with a passage 47 extending from the underside of the piston 48 fixed to the piston rod to the upper end of the latter where it communicates with a passage 49 in the tubular por- I tion 50 of a connecting member 51 fitted upon the upper end of the piston rod and held in assembled relation with respect thereto between cross member 3 and a nut 52 threaded upon the end of the piston rod, as shown. A second passage 53 in the piston rod extends from the upper side of piston 48 to the upper end of the rod where it communicates with a passage 54in the tubular portion 55 of member 51, tubular portions 50 and 55 being connected to and supporting the casing 56 of a three-way valve 57 of well-known construction, fluid under pressure being admitted to the valve through the connection 58. An arm 59 is fixed to the valve spindle 60 and connected to a suitable actuating lever 61 by means of a link 62 pivotally connected at 63 to the lever and at 64 to arm 59. In the position of valve 57 shown in Fig. 2, fluid under pressure will be admitted above piston 48 and cylinder 45 caused to move upwardly due to the fluid pressure acting against the upper cylinder head 65, the fluid below piston 48 being allowed to escape through passages 47 and 49 and the exhaust passage 66 in valve casing 56. Upon forward movement of lever 61, valve 57 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, to admit fluid under pressure to the underside of piston 48 through passages 49 and 47, the fluid above the piston being allowed to escape through passages 53 and 54 and the exhaust passage 66. The fluid pressure upon the lower cylinder head 67 will then cause cylinder 45 to move downwardly. One end of a chain 68 is fixed at 69 to a lug 70 which may be formed integrally with block 44, the chain extending upwardly and over a pulley '71 arranged between the I sides of a U-shaped bearing member 72 and journaled on a pin 78 fixed therein, member 72 being supported from cross member 3 by means of a rod or hanger 74 extending loosely therethrough and provided at its upper end with a collar 75 and nuts 76, a coil spring 77 being arranged upon rod 74 between member 3 and collar 75 to provide a cushion and to permit slight relative movement of pulley '71 with respect to the frame. The chain 68 then extends downwardly around a second pulley 78 arranged between lugs 79 cast integrally with cylinder 45 and journaled on a pin 80 fixed in the lugs, and then extends upwardly and is fixed to block 42 by any suitable means such as a pin or bolt 81 fixed in the latter. From the foregoing it will be seen that upon downward movement of cylinder 45 the distance between pulleys 71 and 78 will be increased and the upper tooth 41 caused to slide downwardly along member '7 until the point of the tooth engages and embeds itself in the log 82. The upper end of chain 68 which is secured to block 42 by means of bolt 81 will then be fixed, so that upon continued downward movement of cylinder 45 to further increase the distance between pulleys 71 and 78, lower tooth 43 will be moved upwardly along member 7 until the point of this tooth engages and embeds itself in the log. The cylinder 45 will be held against further downward movement when the downward pull upon upper tooth 41 and the upward pull on lower tooth 43 are equal, the fluid pressure upon the lower cylinder head 67 then acting to urge the teeth together to grip and securely hold log 82 against the face of knee 1. For the purpose of efiecting upward movement of tooth 41 and permitting downward movement of tooth 43 under the action of gravity into their respective inoperative positions to release log 82, one end of a second chain or flexible element 83 is fixed by means of a pin 84 to a lug 85 which may be cast integrally with block 42, thischain then extending over a pulley 86 supported by a bracket 87 secured to cylinder 45, the pulley being journaled on a pin 88 fixed in the bracket. The other end of chain 83 is fixed by means of a pin 89 to a clip 90 extending through a coil spring 91 and having its ends92 bent over the lower end of the latter, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6. This end of chain 83 is anchored or fixed to lower cross member 4 of the frame by means of a second clip 93 fixed to a pin 94 in member 4, the clip 93 extending through spring 91 and having its ends 95 bent over the upper end of the latter, as shown. Spring 91 is slightly compressed and permits some relative movement between the ends of chain 83 at pin 89 and cross member 4 of the frame. Upon upward movement of cylinder 45, pulley 86 will be moved upwardly therewith and cause upward movement of tooth 41 into inoperative position, this upward movement of tooth 41 being due to the fact that the sum of the distances between pins 94 and 88 and pins 88 and 84 are constant, so that as the distance between pins 94 and 88 is increased by upward movement of cylinder 45, the distance'between pins 88 and 84 decreases a corresponding amount, thus causing upward movement of tooth 41 equal to this latter amount plus the relative upward movement of cylinder 45 with respect to piston rod 12. It will, therefore, be seen that the fiexibleelement or chain 83 and the manner in which it is arranged for coaction with cylinder 45 and tooth 41, effects relative upward movement of tooth 41 with respect to member 7 at a slightly greater rate than the rate of relative upward movement of cylinder 45 with respect to piston rod 12. Upward movement of cylinder 45 is accompanied by an equal upward movement of pulley 78 which, as explained above, is slightly less than the relative upward movement of tooth 41 with respect to member 7. Upon upward movement of cylinder 45, therefore, springs 77 and 91 will be compressed to prevent looseness in the chains which would otherwise occur and to provide for smooth action. The parts are so arranged that when cylinder 45 is in its lowermost position springs 77 and 91 will be slightly compressed.

The headsor boltsiO .areset in' member '7 to lie flush therewith, as explained above, to permit blocks 42 and 44 of the teeth toslide freely along the member.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the usual links or 'leversused heretoforefor connecting the teeth or tooth frame to the actuating member have been eliminated by employing .the

. flexible elements or chains 68 and 83 connected and arranged, as shown and described above, to the tooth frame and actuating member or cylinder 45. Use of chains has been found to be satisfactory, but of course any other flexible elementssuchas cables may be susbstituted therefor, any changes which may be necessary for this substitution being obvious to those skilled in the art. The fluid pressure motor, teeth 41 and 43 andthe actuating mechanismfor connecting the-teeth to the motor and for causing forward and backward movement -of the tooth frame are all carried by the frame of which the piston rod 12 forms a part. The device may, therefore, be attached as a unit to knee 1 of the type now in extensive use.

In the modified form shown in Figs. '7 and 8 chain 68', corresponding to chain 68 in Fig. 1, passes upwardly and forwardly over pulley 71' and 'then downwardly alongside of vertical member 7 coincident with the vertical center line of block 44 of the lower tooth as, the chain being connected to block 44' by means of a link 100, as shown. Pulley 71' is mounted on a pin-73' journaled in a U-shaped bearing member '72 fixed to a rod or hanger 74' extending loosely through an opening in the upper horizontal flange 101 of a bracket 102. A coil spring 77 is arranged upon rod '74 between flange 101 and a washer '75 and a nut 76 threaded upon the upper end of the rod, the spring acting in the same manner and for the same purpose as explained above in connection with spring 77 in Fig. 1. In the construction shown in Fig. 7, therefore, the upward pull of link due to downward movement of cylinder 45 along piston rod 12', will act in line with the vertical center line of block 44, thus eliminating any possible tendency for the block to tilt and bind upon member 7. By thisconstruction it is also possible to arrange piston rod 12, guide bar 15 and cylinder 45 guided thereby closer to member '7, as shown. Furthermore, a longer stroke of cylinder .45 is permitted by supporting pulley 71' above cross member'3' by means of bracket 102. The construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is, in all otherrespects, identical to that shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

Several embodiments of the invention have been shown, but of course many changes may be made in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the claims.

'Iheinvention claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a knee, a tooth associated with said knee for movement with respect thereto, an actuating member movable in opposite directions and provided with a pulley bodily movable therewith and rotatable about a fixed axis thereon, and a flexibleelement connecting said tooth to said member for movement thereby, said element coacting with said pulley and having one of its ends fixed to said tooth, the other end of said element being fixed against movement with respect to'said knee.

2 In a device of the character described, the combination with aknee, and an upper and'a lower tooth associated with said :knee for :movement with respect thereto toward and away-from each other into theirrespective. operative and-inoperativepositions, of a fluid pressure motor having the cylinder thereof arranged for -movement with respect to saidknee, and means connecting said cylinder to said teeth and adapted and arranged to effect movement of the latter into their respective operative positions upon operation of said motor in a given direction and to effect movement of said teeth into their respective inoperative positions upon reverse operation of said motor, said means comprising a pulley carried'by said cylindena second pulley connected to said knee, and a flexible element coacting with said pulleys and having its respective ends fixed to said teeth. i

3. In a device of the character described, a knee, a frame provided with a vertical -member and associated with said knee for forward and backward movement with respect thereto, atooth slidably mounted on said member, a fluid pressure motor comprising a piston rod fixed :in and forming part of said frame and a-cylinder guided by said piston rod for movement in said frame, said piston rod having passagesextending therethrough and-communicating with the spaces :in thecylinder above and below the piston respectively, valve means controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid pressure to the passages thereof, means connecting said tooth to said cylinder for movement thereby, and means adaptedto effect said movement of said frame. 7

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a knee, and an upper and a lower tooth associated with said knee for movement with'respect thereto toward and awayfrom each other and to their respective operative and inoperative positions, of' an actuating member constrained to reciprocatory movement relative to the knee, a flexible element having its ends connected to said teeth, means cooper able with the intermediate portion of the flexibleelement to cause the same to have a run leading to one of the teeth and another run leading to the other tooth, and means carried by said actuating element for looping one of said runs to cause said teeth to be moved toward each other.

5. In a device of the character described, the

combination with the knee, and a log-holding member mounted thereon, of an actuating member movably mounted on the knee, a flexible element, means connected with the knee and coacting with the flexible element to cause the sameto have a run leading to the tooth and also a second run, means cooperable with the second run for limiting the movement of the same, and means carried by the actuating member and cooperating with one of said runs for looping the same to such an extent as to cause the said tooth to .operatively engage a log or board.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a knee, and an upper and a lower tooth associated with said knee for movement with respect thereto toward and away from each other into their respective operative and inoperative positions, of an actuating member constrained to reciprocatory movement relative to the knee, a flexible element having its ends .connected to said teeth, means cooperable with the intermediate portion of the flexible element to cause the same to have a run leading to one of the teeth and another run leading to the other tooth, means carried by said actuating element for looping one of .saidruns toxcause said teeth to be moved toward each other, a second flexible element having one end connected to the upper tooth, means for anchoring the other end of the second flexible element and means on the actuating element for looping the second flexible element to cause it to move the upper tooth to inoperative position.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a knee, a frame vmounted on the knee, upper. and lower teeth adjustably mounted on the frame, an actuating member mounted on the frame and movable in opposite directions, a flexible element having its ends connectedto the teeth, a pulley, a yieldable mounting for the pulley on the frame, the flexible element having its intermediate portion trained around said pulley to provide in the flexible element a run leading to one tooth and a run leading to the other tooth, and means operable by the actuating member for looping one of the runs of the flexible element to move the teeth toward each other 8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a knee, a frame mounted thereon, adjustable teeth cooperably disposed with respect to the knee, an actuating member, a flexible element having its ends connected to the teeth, means mounted on the frame and coacting with the flexible element to provide in the flexible element a run leading to one tooth and a run leading to the other tooth, means operable from the actuating member for looping one of the runs to draw the teeth toward each other, a second flexible element connected to one of the teeth, yieldable means for anchoring the other end of the second flexible element on the frame, and means operable by the actuating member and coacting with the second flexible element for looping the same to movethe' tooth associated therewith to inoperative position.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a knee, a tooth adjustable with respect thereto, an actuating member, a flexible element having one end connected to the tooth, means for limiting the movement of the other end of the flexible element and means operable from the actuating member for looping an intermediate portion of the flexible element whereby to impart movement to the tooth.

10. The combination with the knee of a sawmill carriage, of a dog mounting including a bar, a lower dog carried thereby, an upper dog slidable thereon, means for moving the dog mounting toward and from the face of the knee and a double acting reciprocatory fluid pressure motor movable with the dog mounting and including the usual motor elements, that is, a cylinder and a piston, and means for operatively connecting said motor to both dogs and for suspending the weight of one of said motor elements on the upper dog, whereby when said motor is actuated to engage the dogs with a log, the upper dog, due to its own weight and to the weight of the motor element suspended thereon, is first actuated until it is arrested by its engagement with the log, whereupon the lower dog is actuated into engagement with the log.

11. In a device of the character described, a knee, a frame secured to said knee and provided with a guide member, a tooth slidably mounted on said member, a fluid pressure motor carried by said frame and provided with a piston rod fixed to the frame and forming a part thereof, a piston on said piston rod, a movable cylinder coacting with the piston, said piston rod coacting with the cylinder and constituting a guide mem ber therefor, and means connecting said cylinder to said. tooth whereby upon operation of said motor said cylinder will move said tooth along its guide member.

12. A dog for use on the knee of a sawmill and comprising a guide, upper and lower opposed log holding membersinterengaged with said guide, a flexible element having its ends connected to said log holding members, a guide pulley arrangement coacting with an intermediate portion of the flexible element to cause a portion thereof to form a run extending downwardly from the guide pulley arrangement to the lower log holding member along a line approximately parallel to the line of movement of the lower log holding member, an operating pulley engaged with the portion of the flexible element disposed between the guide pulley, arrangement and the upper log holding member and acting to form a loop in the flexible element having a run leading downwardly from the guide pulley arrangement to the operating pulley and a run leading upwardly from the operating pulley to the upper log holding member along a line approximately parallel to the line of movement of the upper log holding member, a reversible motor having a bodily movable motor element connected tothe operating pulley and means for constraining the bodily movable motor element and the operating pulley to move in either direction along a line substantially parallel to the line or" movement of said teeth.

13. A dog for use on the knee of a sawmill and comprising upper and lower opposing log holding members mounted for movement toward and away from each other, a flexible element having its ends connected to said leg holding members, guide and operating pulleys engaging said flexible element for forming reverse loops therein with a run common to said loops and runs extending to said log holding members, and a reversible motor connected to the operating pulley for bodily moving the same to cause portions of the flexible element making up the runs leading to the log holding members to successively feed around said pulleys intothe common run thereby successively varying the length of the runs leading to the teeth and imparting movement first to one, then to the other and finally to both of said teeth. 7

14. A dog for use on the knee of a sawmill and comprising upper and lower opposed log engaging teeth mounted for moving toward and away from each other, a flexible element having its ends connected to said log engaging teeth, guide and actuating members engaging said flexible element between its ends and forming reverse bends therein and also forming runs therein extending in opposite directions from said bends to said log engaging teeth, means for constraining said actuating member to bodily movement and a motor connected to said actuating member for bodily moving the same to cause the flexible element to feed lengthwise around saidguide and actuating members thereby varying the lengths of the runs extending to the teeth and imparting movement to the teeth upon operation of the-motor.

15." In combination with a knee of a sawmill carriage having a face, of a mounting supported on the knee for movement toward and away from the face of the knee, upper and lower dogs mounted relative to the knee, a reversible actuator interconnected between the knee and the mounting for moving the mounting toward and from the face of the knee to thereby determine the projection of at least one of the dogs to greater or lesser distances forward of the knee face, a reversible fluid pressure motor interconnected with said dogs and including the usual motor elements, that is, a cylinder and a piston, at least one of said motor elements being suspended upon one of the dogs, said motor being operable in one direction to force the dogs apart, said motor, when operated in the other direction, being aided by the weight of the log holding members and by the weight of the element of the motor suspended upon one of the dogs first to cause the upper log holding member to move downwardly until it engages the log whereupon the motor lifts the lower log holding member up into engagement with the log and finally drives both members simultaneously into the log.

16. A sawmill carriage including a knee having a face, a reversible actuator, upper and lower log engaging members operable beyond the face of the knee, a frame mounted on the knee and interrelated with the upper and lower log engaging members, means controlled by the reversible actuator and interconnecting the frame and the knee to predetermine a minimum or maximum projection of at least one of the log engaging members beyond the face of the knee, and a reversible motor supported at least in part upon and differentially interconnected between said log engaging members, said motor acting in one direction to move the log engaging members toward each other and in reverse direction to separate the log engaging members from each other, the power of the motor being differentially applied to the log engaging members to operate one of said log engaging members into log engaging position and when arrestedby said engagement to thereafter operate the other of said log engaging members into log engaging position through continuous operation of said motor in one direction.

ADOLPI-I L. HAASE. 

